The President, The Mansplainer, and the First Boyfriend
by shouldbecleaning
Summary: Companion piece to The President, The Stripper, and The Good Girl. Bella's presidential aims are thwarted by a twerp and a twit.


**Beachcomberlc is a marvel, IpsitaC77 is a wonder and I am honoured to work with both of them. This is a companion piece to The President, The Stripper, and The Good Girl, but can stand alone as its own story. I've never done a contrasting POV before, it was fun. Thank you for reading and glad tidings to you over this lovely season.**

"No, Dad. Stop it. Damn it, Charlie, listen to me."

"Get out of my way, Bella."

"Don't make me call Deputy Mark. I will, I swear."

"I don't care, Mark will back me up. Just move, Bella. This is official police business."

"Bullshit, Daddy. Shooting Mr. Berty over the election is not official police business and you know it. Now, put down the shotgun before someone gets hurt. You can have the bullets back when you're calm." Bella kept her hands behind her back, clutching the projectiles and magazines her father was trying to wrestle from her. Maybe not wrestle, because Charlie Swan would never lay his hands on his only daughter, his pride and joy, as a rule. However, the impulse to riddle the asshole teacher who broke his little girl's heart was strong. Thank God his daughter had a clearer head than he did right now.

"Okay, just give me one bullet. I won't hit him, just fire over his shoulder or at his feet. I swear I won't hurt him. I wanna see him squirm a little before he apologizes to you." The well respected, honourable man was not above wheedling to get what he wanted.

"I appreciate how much this bothers you and I'm really, really touched by your concern, but seriously, even just shooting at Mr. Berty isn't going to accomplish anything."

Bella tucked the magazines into the back of her jeans and stuffed the bullets in her pocket. She took her father by the hand and led him over to the kitchen table, pushing him to sit in his usual chair. She stayed standing, patting him gently on the shoulder to soothe him.

"Now I'd like you to give me the keys to the cruiser, Chief. I know you're thinking of driving over to the Cullens' house to yell at Edward and you really shouldn't. I won't let you. He's a pawn in all of this."

Charlie Swan, Forks Chief of Police, tendered his cruiser keys to his level-headed daughter with a grimace. If the deputies and other cops knew, they'd ride his ass for weeks, but right now, Charlie knew it was better to have Bella in charge. Charlie wasn't normally a hothead, but this Berty guy had done some serious wrong to his little girl with the help of the Cullen kid. Someone had to pay for making his little girl cry. She'd tried to hide it from him, but he could easily see the telltale signs and when he questioned her, she confessed to what happened that day. Charlie was pissed. He'd already reserved a table at the lodge for tomorrow night to take Bella out. It was going to be a joint celebration for both the election and for her eighteenth birthday. He'd already gifted her birthday present months ago. The girl asked for the oddest thing and Charlie jumped to make it happen for her.

One would think an eighteen-year-old girl would ask for a cell phone or a car, something big, shiny and fancy for her birthday. But not Bella. No, his daughter asked to go to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to observe their provincial parliament in session. She didn't even want to go skiing while they were there. In fact, Charlie had to drag her to Vancouver to do some touristy things like visit the aquarium in Stanley Park or the frightening Capilano suspension bridge. Bella sat through three days of political debate of a foreign system while Charlie was able to do some fishing and have some fun.

His Bella loved rules and regulations. She was more law and order than he was and Charlie blamed himself. He didn't have regular daycare for her when she was little and she'd played at the station most of the time. She read every book they had on police procedure, criminal codes and service manuals. She even read the old mug books they had in storage. Bella was a good girl; she never read the case files, even though she had plenty of opportunity and a thirst for knowledge. So, Charlie wasn't all that surprised when Bella decided to run for student body president in her sophomore year. She would have run as a freshman if she could, but there were rules against it, and there weren't enough students in the school to allow for a leader of each individual grade.

Bella thrived being the school's president. Charlie worried that she was lonely, not many kids would want to be friends with the daughter of the chief of police and their phone didn't ring for her very often. But Bella was happy in her own way. It scared him shitless how smart she was. He kept waiting for the teenage rebellion that hit other parents in town and for her to realize she was much smarter than he was.

It was easy to see the pride Charlie had for his daughter. Once he started talking about her it was hard to get him to stop, which was a complete departure from the quiet authority he maintained in his professional demeanour. He was a man of few words until someone brought up Bella. Behind closed doors and alone, Charlie was most proud and thankful that his daughter had yet to start crushing on boys. As far as he knew, she didn't even notice the opposite sex and that was fine with him. He'd always told her high school was too important to be chasing after boys. Grad school was a far better time to look for a companion. Although it did cause him some heartache that maybe no one would want her, none of the boys in town seemed to have an eye for her. It was a double-edged sword that no father should have to try to balance.

That morning Charlie had gone to work, knowing Bella would meet him at home with news of her victory. He knew she'd win. He'd listened to her speeches, mostly, and argued some of her talking points. He'd helped make posters and pamphlets as he'd done every year for the past two years. It never crossed his mind that she wouldn't win.

However, when he got home that night, he found his daughter in the kitchen, as usual. She was being a little more forceful with chopping vegetables than normal . It wasn't until he took her french knife and forced her to sit down that he got the whole story. They ended up ordering in a pizza and he used every interrogation technique he'd learned at the academy. It was like pulling teeth to get it out of her, but he managed in the end.

"Tell me what happened today. You look mad."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Bella. You've juiced a carrot with a knife. You're far from fine."

"No, really Dad, I'm good now."

"Isabella Marie Swan, tell me what happened."

"It's good news, in the end, I guess. I'm going to have a lot more free time to study and keep the house clean. I might experiment more with cooking. Meals have been getting a little stale and boring around here lately. I might see about taking some online cooking courses. It's fine."

"Why will you have more time now?"

"Well, now that I'm not president, I'll have more time. It's a win-win for everyone."

"You lost the election?"

"I did, but it's not a bad thing in the end. I just have to do a small thing in front of the superintendent and the principal and then I'm out of school politics. Cooking shows creativity and applied science, so it will look good on my college applications. It's fine, Dad."

Charlie couldn't help but notice how Bella couldn't look him in the eye, how her left temple throbbed and her fingers were shaking the whole time she spoke. Her slice of pizza was torn into tiny pieces on her plate.

"What were the margins?"

Bella looked up at him in surprise. She hadn't expected that question.

"Actually, I don't know. Mr. Berty didn't mention."

"What did Mr. Berty say?"

Charlie knew he would have to keep digging. Bella, bless her heart, was loyal to a fault. She would never throw someone under the bus for kicks. Charlie knew how to push and when to pull back when it came to Bella. As enamoured as she was with rules, she liked to protect an individual at all costs, even to the detriment of herself. Charlie didn't like James Berty, he was a snot Charlie'd had the pleasure of pulling over not once, not twice but three times in the short time he'd been living in Charlie's town. The little fucker couldn't drive for shit and wanted to argue every ticket there on the side of the road.

"He told me Edward Cullen is the new president and it was up to me to help him fit in."

"So, this Edward won the election?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean, not exactly?"

"I won the popular vote, but Edward won the election." Bella tried to stand to continue assaulting vegetables, but her father stopped her.

"We both know that's not how it works with high school elections, Bella."

"Mr. Berty made the decision." She spoke in a monotone, knowing her father would blow up.

"He's not allowed to make that decision."

Bella was reaching the end of her tether. She'd kept her cool at school, spoken to both Berty and Edward with a calm and measured manner. While she was seething inside, she didn't want to be labeled as a hysterical female who can't take disappointment or rejection.

"I know he's not allowed; that's why I'm meeting with the superintendent and the principal. I'm taking care of it, Dad. I'm also meeting with the school board secretary in the morning to see if I can get on the agenda. Can you write me a note for the day off?"

"First, you have to tell me exactly what happened, word-for-word." Charlie leaned back and got ready to listen, his arms folded over his chest."

"You don't need to know word-for-word, Dad. I already spoke with Mrs. Cope in the front office. Everyone knows she's the real boss at the school. She's the one who set me up an appointment with the superintendent and the principal. She's going to compile a list of other people I could approach if it doesn't work out tomorrow. At this point, I don't even know if I want the position anymore." Bella tried very hard to keep any kind of whining out of her voice, no matter how badly her feelings were hurt.

"Isabella Marie Swan, you have worked too hard for too long to have the presidency taken away from you by some pretty boy. Now, I need to determine if any laws were broken. Word-for-word, young lady." He gave his best cop stare and, for the first time in his life, it worked against his brilliant daughter.

"Berty called me into his room and congratulated me on a well-run campaign. He said I'd done an excellent job for the past two years, but in the interest of fairness it was time for someone else to lead the school. He said the school needs a male role model for a while."

Charlie made no sound, but rolled his eyes.

"Berty told me I was smart and could understand that this was a good idea. I asked him for the voting tally and he told me it was close, which to him meant that the school was ready for a change. He said that even though I won the popular vote, the fact that Edward had won some votes was telling. He told me I could help Edward out with the job, work behind the scenes and be 'the woman behind the man'. I was too shocked to speak, Dad. I mean, you know me, I can debate any topic and do it well, but I just couldn't say a word. Berty took my silence for confusion and decided to explain his reasoning using the electoral college with him as the college. Then he said that he understood I was a feminist and as such, I should embrace his installing Edward Cullen as student body president as an act of feminism because it was giving men equal opportunities as the ladies; he said "ladies" to my face with a smile."

Bella watched as her father face turned from pink to red to purple as she spoke. But he stayed in his seat, just listening.

"Then he told me to wait so I could help give Edward the good news. I was frozen. I hoped Edward would talk him out of it. I thought too highly of him, I guess, because he just accepted the position. Then I yelled at him, poor guy. He looked so lost and stunned and I knew it wasn't his fault, but I didn't care at that point. I left the room and went straight to Mrs. Cope."

Charlie closed his eyes and tilted his head back. He tried counting to ten, but he was still angry by the time he reached twenty-seven. He slowly pushed his chair back, stood and hiked up his pants. He fished his keys out of his pocket and flipped through them until he found the one for his gun locker. Bella jumped to her feet, recognizing the little silver key. She rushed over to the cupboard where Charlie kept his ammunition and slid a wooden spoon between the handles so he couldn't easily open it, then took the handful of bullets and two magazines Charlie had dropped on the counter before they began to talk earlier in the evening.

After talking her angry father down and supervising the return his twenty-two into the gun safe, but keeping his car keys, Bella decided a long hot bath was in order. While relaxing, she formulated what she was going to say to the principal and superintendent the next day. She slept well and woke ready to fight the good fight.

Bella's meetings were a breeze. After a few moments of stunned silence, Principal Greene jumped into action. Mrs. Cope spent an hour researching and compiling the rules of student elections for an informational email to every teacher in the school. Principal Greene wrote a severely worded disciplinary letter to be added to Berty's file. He then accompanied Bella and Charlie to the meeting with the superintendent.

Superintendent Laurent first tried to explain to Bella that she hadn't heard what she thought she'd heard, and that no teacher in his district would act in such a manner. He then decided to lecture the group on the rules of student elections and procedures. It took both Principal Greene and Chief Swan, with his 'Chief Swan' voice, to get the man to listen. He seemed to decide quickly after that; perhaps the young lady was telling the truth and Mr. Berty was in the wrong. The evidence Principal Greene had in the ballot tallies was a big consideration for the Superintendent.

As much as Charlie threatened, Berty couldn't be fired, but he would have to attend several workshops on governance and sensitivity. There was a very good chance his contract with the school board would not be picked up the next year.

To celebrate his daughter's achievement and reinstatement as president, Charlie took her to her favourite vintage consignment store and passed her a couple of twenties. Bella wasn't a big shopper, content to wear comfortable, affordable clothing, but he wanted to treat her. With a little prodding, Bella got herself a dress to wear to their fancy dinner and a really cute raincoat. The coat was black and looked like something out of an Audrey Hepburn movie. The skirt was very wide and gathered, hemmed just to the knee, with a deep hood that folded back and almost looked like a shawl collar. It was missing a couple of buttons, but there was a bowl of mismatched buttons on the counter for a quarter each.

Bella found a flouncy blue dress that wasn't too revealing or slutty, even with it's halter top and open back. Taking care of it, she should be able to wear this dress for years to almost any formal occasion, so she felt it was well worth the money. Chances were very good that Bella would be going to the prom by herself; she knew that and didn't mind. She'd grown up with the boys at her school and didn't really favour any of them. Sure, there were some hotties; Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock came to mind, but Jasper was glued to Alice Brandon and before the election, Edward barely knew Bella was alive.

Although, she did have a recurring fantasy that involved her office and a strong young upperclassman. Sometimes it was Edward, others it was Jasper, and very rarely Emmett McCarty was added to the mix. Once it was all three of them together. That night Bella learned another use for her hand-held shower massage head.

In the fantasy, the lights were dim, the office warm and the scent of cinnamon was in the air. Edward would be standing at her door asking for a favour. She'd listen and grant his wish, then dismiss him, but he'd walk up behind her and whisper in her ear his thanks and plans to repay her. His voice was low and gravelly in her dream, his breath hot on her ear, the movement of his lips tickling her skin. Goose bumps would form on her arms as a shiver would run down her back, curling across her stomach before ending at her clit. Edward would very slowly draw her hair back and off her neck. Torturing her patience, he'd lean in and hover with his mouth a fraction of an inch above her skin. An electric shock would bolt through her as the tip of his tongue flicked against her neck as his lips closed in for a kiss there. He'd run his tongue up her neck from her clavicle to her earlobe before taking it between his teeth and giving the flesh a little tug.

His hand would be warm and heavy on her shoulders, slowly massaging the tension from the base of her neck before sliding up and down her arms, leaving a trail of sparks in their wake. Ever so gently, he's spin her chair around and get down on his knee in front of her. He'd lean forward and undo her buttons, one-by-one, kissing each inch of newly exposed flesh. With a flick of his wrist, Bella's shirt would disappear, leaving her in a very sexy, yet sensible lace bra. She'd spend a great deal of time running her fingers through his hair as he lavished her breasts with his undivided attention, first left then right. When she could no longer stand the onslaught of sensations, she'd grasp his hair hard and yank his head away from her tender skin.

Most of the time, Bella would come out of the fantasy then, painfully aroused and a little angry with herself, both for picturing Edward Cullen like that and for stopping there and not going further. Just once, she let it go to the point where her panties had melted off and he was just about to dive face first into her crotch, but her alarm clock woke her, scaring the shit out of her. That whole day at school she had a blush on her face that made a few teachers ask after her well being. Bella filed that part of the fantasy away for summer break, when Charlie was gone fishing or something.

It took several tries, but Bella was able to put her hair up in a slightly crooked chignon and bravely put on the two inch kitten heels that she had relegated to the very back of her closet. A little bit of makeup finished her look, and Bella was ready. Charlie met her at the bottom of the stairs and complimented her, leaving both of them blushing and stammering for a few moments. Bella wasn't good at taking compliments, and Charlie was not ready for his little girl to look so grown up.

Dinner was wonderful. Over salad, they discussed Principal Greene's reaction and the meeting with the superintendent. By the time they were finished with their entrees, Bella's college career had been fully planned out and dissected. Bella talked Charlie through the various grants and scholarships she was applying for and hoping to win. Once dessert was served, Bella finally understood the allure fishing held for her father, both the serenity and the excitement he found when he was out on the open water. It was a marvelous evening for both of them.

After dropping by the station to pick up the little radio Charlie had stashed there, they pulled up to the school to find the night school class just leaving. Charlie pulled up to the front door and turned off the engine while Bella carefully climbed out. A misty rain made every surface slick, and Bella cinched the belt on her raincoat a little tighter as she climbed the steps to the school. Car after car left the main lot throwing rainbows and sparkles of red , yellow and white over the rain drops. Bella hurried up the stairs to the third floor, tripping on the last step and turning her ankle a bit too far. She decided to walk more carefully to her office. There were few lights on and the hallway seemed longer than usual. Bella wasn't nervous about being there, school was one of her favourite places to be and she knew the layout like the back of her hand. She'd spent many a long evening there, working on behalf of the student body.

A tendril of hair escaped the bad chignon and brushed Bella's cheek. As she turned the corner, she tried to tuck the lock back into place. She looked up to see her office door open and three people hanging around the door. She almost stopped and went back to get her dad. Due to budget cuts, the janitorial staff had been cut over the summer and Bella knew there were supposed to be only two people cleaning the building each night. Bella had written a strongly worded letter to the school board when that announcement was made. Given the square footage and disgusting behaviours of the students, Bella was appalled the board expected only two people to complete the arduous task each night. The school board thanked her for her efforts, but reminded her that staffing was not within her purview of student body president.

With no light behind her, the hallway seemed to telescope and time stood still as she approached. She knew who was there long before she walked into the pool of light from the open office door. She knew and was pissed off about it. However, as she neared, she noticed the goofy, shocked looks on their faces, particularly Edward's and it made her smile.

Concentrating on keeping one foot in front of the other and not falling on her ass before the three hottest guys in her class, the walk down the hall to her office seemed to go on forever. Finally, she made it and looked at the trio. Edward seemed a little too comfortable in her office, and it was still hers until Monday morning, technically. She'd let him keep it for the few days it would take for the election results to be tabulated and confirmed. Hopefully, he wouldn't make too much of a mess while she was out of office. Bella counted the beer bottles the boys were trying to hide and noted the bags of chips. The boys would have looked ready to party if not for the look of fear on each of their faces.

Bella stood in the pool of light spilling from her office, feeling ridiculously on display so she swung the radio around her both for balance and distraction. Finally, one of the boys spoke.

"You're 'Cookie'?"

What an odd thing to say. They should have all known who she was. They may not have been friends, but had been attending the same school for the last three years if not the same classes. Bella wondered if the beers were just chasers for something much stronger and possibly illegal, and if the boys were baked.

"Um, I guess so, my mom called me 'Cookie' ever since I was a little girl. Why?" Bella watched as the boys looked at each other, back and forth like a tennis match. Edward would look at Jasper, then at Emmett, so quickly Bella could almost hear the tendons in his neck creak. Jasper snapped out of it first.

"So, what'cha doing here, little Cookie? Want to join our party for Edward? Shit, sorry about the election, Bella." Jasper ran his hand up the back of his neck, looking very contrite.

"Don't worry about it. I fully expect you to support your friend over me." Bella didn't want to spoil their evening, even knowing Edward's term as president would be over first thing Monday morning.

"You know, you did a very good job as president over the last few years. Edward knows he has big shoes to fill, so if he shows up crying on your doorstep, be kind, won't you? He's just a growing boy."

Bella laughed.

"Dude? The fuck?" Bella and Jasper turned their attention to Emmett, who had slapped Edward across the chest and was looking at him like he was insane. Edward had a look of pain and confusion on his face as he jammed his fisted hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"What are you doing here?" Edward barked at her. As soon as he'd said it, he blinked as if shocked by his own behaviour.

"Oh, um, my dad dropped me off. I borrowed this radio from the station to play music while I cleaned out my office. He took me out to a fancy dinner tonight because of the election. Good thing he didn't come up here with me—he'd arrest you for those beers you have there, boys." Bella laughed at the picture that came to mind of Charlie cuffing the boys and stuffing them into the back of the cruiser.

"So, you're not staying?" Jasper sounded suspiciously eager with his question. Bella shot him a look.

"No, just dropping this off. I can't clean in this dress." She pulled at the neck of the coat, showing the edge of her dress. Edward made a weird, strangled noise and plopped back into Bella's desk chair, looking like he want to throw up. Was the thought of her in a pretty dress so repulsive or was it the glimpse of her collarbone that made him ill? Bella wasn't sure, but his reaction fucking pissed her off. She may not have been the prettiest girl in school, but he didn't have to treat her that way, like she was revolting.

"Sorry to interrupt your celebration, Mr. President. I hope you enjoy the moment." Bella stared pointedly at Edward, her voice cold like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. She had too much class to call him out in front of his friends, but she hoped by her tone of voice, he knew that her class would only last until Monday. After that, the gloves would be off.

Edward cleared his throat and tried to smile at her. It came out crooked and slightly pained.

"I'll enjoy it while I can, thanks, Bella." She nodded and passed Jasper the radio. She walked away as slowly as she'd arrived, trying to let go of the hurt and anger Edward had brought out in her before she saw her father. One look and he'd know something was wrong with his little girl. Bella had become adept at hiding most of her feelings from her dad. Charlie wasn't good with emotions.

Holding tight to the railing, Bella walked down the three flights of stairs as quickly as her heels would allow. Each step calmed her just a little bit more, until she reached the bottom and had erased all the feelings Edward had brought up.

As she rounded the last corner, Bella spotted a woman standing, looking lost and confused near the front door. Bella knew in an instant why Jasper had called her 'Cookie'. The woman at the door looked like a person who might take the nickname Cookie. Bella, however, knew her as Angela, her former babysitter.

Angela was wearing a pair of heels so high they made Bella's feet hurt just looking at them. Her hair, which had been the same shade of brown as Bella's, was now platinum blonde and up in two ponytails on either side of her head. Her makeup was overdone, and Bella could see a fake beauty mark above Angela's lip. Angela was wearing a long, ratty grey sweater and carrying a radio/ cd player much like the one Bella had just dropped off upstairs.

"Hey Ange, are you lost?"

"Shit, hi Bella. Yeah, I'm supposed to go to the third floor office, but I don't remember an office up there at all." Angela blushed as Bella directed her towards the old janitor's closet, now president's office.

The girls chatted for a few more minutes before saying their goodbyes with a promise to email soon.

Bella kept her laughter to a minimum as she walked back to her father's cruiser. Charlie was sitting with his arms crossed and a heavy scowl on his face.

"Did you see Angela Weber on your way out? She's still doing that job. I don't know how her parents deal with it."

"The Webers trust her. She's put herself through grad school dancing and she's just about done. She told me she has an appointment to defend her thesis coming up soon. And she's been hired as a TA for her favourite professor, so no more shaking the T and A for money." Bella snorted a laugh at her own joke as her father looked at her like she was insane. Eventually, her giggles led to his and they laughed together.

"So, Angela wouldn't tell me which teacher she was dancing for, did she tell you?" Charlie tried to use his training to ferret out the answer. Not that getting a striptease at the school was a crime, but he wanted to know which teacher to keep an eye on.

"No, Dad, she didn't but I wouldn't worry. She'll be leaving in a few minutes, I can guarantee."

Charlie started the engine and slowly reversed the car. As he shifted back to drive, Angela could be seen in the doorway of the school, putting her long sweater back on before leaving the building.

"You know, Bella, you're not allowed to even consider any job like that. I've put aside plenty for your education and I'll take a mortgage out on the house if I have to."

"I'm not worried, Dad. There are lots of scholarships and bursaries. Let's get accepted to a university first before we worry about paying for it."

"Stanford, Bella, not just any university, you're going to Stanford." Charlie turned onto their street and smirked at his wide-eyed daughter.

"Whatever you say, Dad." Bella shook her head at him.

Charlie got called into work the next day, leaving Bella to the Saturday chores by herself. It was a fairly common occurrence and Bella didn't mind too much. She didn't relish doing the cleaning by herself, but she did enjoy not having her father along when she did the grocery shopping. Police Chief Charlie Swan regressed to Chuckie Swan, aged nine, whenever he stepped foot in the grocery store, budget be damned. By the end of the task, the cart would be full of sugary cereals and pudding, with at least one box of ice cream novelties melting at the bottom. When Bella did the shopping on her own, there were vegetables in the cart for well balanced meals as well as a few small treats to satisfy Charlie's sweet tooth.

Bella wandered the aisles, gathering ingredients for a couple pans of Charlie's favourite meatloaf. She always made enough to last for a couple of dinners plus sandwiches for the week for her dad. Charlie was an easy man to take care of and feed. He never complained about leftovers or nights when Bella couldn't face cooking, and they shared a big plate of toast for dinner. Bella also gathered the ingredients for a hearty soup to make later in the week.

As Bella wandered the frozen section, her mind wandering through recipes, she didn't notice Mr. Berty filling his basket with Hungry Man dinners until she was standing right in front of him. He looked up at the same time, so she couldn't duck and run from him. He slammed the freezer door and hiked his basket onto the crook of his arm. The sneer on his face when he recognized her was ugly.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss President Swan."

"Good morning, Mr. Berty." Bella acknowledge him and tried to keep going, deciding to skip getting the frozen peas Charlie liked to have with his meatloaf. Charlie could live with the disappointment. Berty looked her up and down, seeming to take note of everything in her cart.

"The state is going to suspend my license because of you, Miss President Swan."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Berty, but it wasn't because of me. It was all your doing." Bella gripped the handle of the grocery cart tightly.

"I have to take online civics courses and will have to reapply for my license." He took a small step closer to her.

"Again, not my fault."

"I may be barred from teaching at Forks High." He leaned in towards her. Bella could feel his breath on her face and smell hints of garlic, pepperoni and beer coming from his skin.

"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish my shopping..." Bella started to maneuver out of his way, but he grabbed hold of her cart, trapping her.

"I have to take not one, not two, but four different sensitivity training seminars; all because you ran to daddy and complained."

Bella tried to move the cart from his grasp, but he held tight. She glared at him.

"You blatantly tainted the election and summarily installed your own choice as president without the authority to do so. You made a mockery of the elections and I had every right to go to Principal Greene and to the..."

"Well, actually, Miss Swan, what I did was akin to what the electoral college does. The electoral college oversees an election to make sure the correct candidate gets the presidency."

"That's not what the electoral college does and that system isn't used for school elections." Bella was about to give him his first civics lesson when he interrupted her, again.

"Isabella, I'm a teacher. I think I'd know much better than you how the election system works, young lady."

"Have you read the booklet on electoral procedure the state provides for every school?"

"Well, no. But I know things. Now, I think you should apologize to me for what you did."

"You're delusional, Mr. Berty. If you don't let go of my cart, I will scream. The store manager will call my father and I'll have you charged with assault."

"I haven't laid a hand on you. You can't charge me with assault."

"You're detaining and threatening me. That's assault."

"Well, actually…"

Bella wrenched her cart from his grip and stomped on his foot as she walked away from him.

"That was battery, also known as Fourth Degree Assault or Simple Assault. However, it was under duress due to self defence, so go ahead and call my father, asshole. Let's see which one of us gets charged." Bella pushed her cart to the front of the store and tossed her items on the counter. She wasn't going to let Mr. Berty interfere with her life any more than he already had.

Charlie held his tongue as Bella told him everything that happened in the grocery store while she sat in her truck before driving home. Bella was able to convince him not to go to Berty's house or charge him with harassment. Charlie wanted to call it kidnapping, but Bella talked him out of it. The chances of Berty trying anything else were slim, Bella reminded her father, and he promised to let it go for now.

After a delightfully uneventful Sunday full of cooking and spending time as a family, Bella stood in front of her closet Monday morning, deciding what to wear. The possibility of an announcement of the change in presidency would bring a lot of attention her way and she wanted to look well put together. The jeans she chose were a little more snug than ones she would normally wear, but they felt good on and the colour complimented her blue blouse. Feeling professional and ready, Bella rushed downstairs for breakfast.

There, in front of the stove, stood her father in his dress blue uniform, a little yellow apron tied around his waist, turning brown lumps over in a frying pan.

"What the hell?" Bella skidded to a stop, mouth open at the sight that met her.

"I thought I'd make you breakfast for once. You've been taking care of my old ass for long enough."

"I appreciate the gesture, but it's not necessary." Reaching for the coffee pot, Bella poured the brew into a large travel mug and laced it with milk.

"Yes, it is. You have a big day ahead of you and a nourishing breakfast will help."

The brown lumps turned out to be chocolate pancakes, cooked perfectly, topped with sliced banana and dusted with icing sugar. Bella looked from her plate to her father and back again.

"What? Just because I let you do all the cooking doesn't mean I can't cook. I'll have you know I'm a competent chef."

"You're a man of mystery and many talents, Chief Swan." Bella toasted him with her coffee mug before tucking into her breakfast.

Charlie offered to drive Bella to school with the lights and sirens blaring, but she talked him out of it. She made it to school in record time and hers was one of the first cars in the lot. Bella looked for Berty's BMW, but his spot was empty. Biting back the temptation to park in his assigned spot, Bella left her vehicle in the student lot and walked through the morning mist up the steps to school. There were a couple disgruntled-looking students wandering the halls and a few more sitting in front of their lockers, but most had earphones in and were lost in their own worlds. No one seemed to notice Bella as she walked slowly up to her old office.

Even knowing Angela left before she could strip, Bella worried what shape her office would be in after Cullen's party. She hoped he would be smart enough to clean up the beer cans, but this was a boy who had a stripper attend him at school, so therefore not that bright. Or the boys might have gotten angry and trashed the office because Angela left before they could see her boobs.

In no time, Bella was standing in front of her office door, sniffing the air for the scent of stale beer or hormonal boys. She slid her key in the lock and slowly opened the door. Nothing appeared out of place. The chair was where she liked it and at the same height it usually was. None of her books were misordered or misplaced. There were no stray beer cans or mashed-up chips on the floor or in the garbage can. Bella pulled her chair back and carefully sat down, nervous someone might have tampered with the chair or wheels. The only thing out of the ordinary was the folded piece of paper tucked just under her desktop calendar. She pulled it out and opened it. A huge grin spread across her face as she read the note.

_Welcome back, Madam President. _

_I, Edward Cullen, resign as class president due to not having the balls to do the job._

_P.S. I sent a better resignation to Principal Greene. I'm sorry for all the crap you went through. The best person for the job won. I got caught up in the excitement and didn't think things through. I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends. _

Bella folded the note and tucked it in her wallet knowing it was something she would want to keep for a long time.

Principal Greene made the announcement during homeroom. Bella's classmates congratulated her all day long. Greene made the diplomatic decision to announce it as a counting error, covering his ass as well as Berty's and giving Edward an out. He thanked Bella for her prudence at a meeting in his office at the end of the day. They both agreed to let the situation go now that Berty was moving away from town.

Bella only saw Edward once, during lunch in the cafeteria. He gave her a crooked smile and a two finger salute. Bella's hands were full, but she gave him a big smile in return.

Edward seemed to be around more or maybe Bella was just noticing him more, but there he was. Always with a half smile, sometimes a nod, others he had a wave for her. It took two weeks until he approached her. The exchanges were brief; a '_How are you doing?'_ or '_Hey there, Bella_'. She started wanting to see his face and looked for him in the halls. The only problem was a lot of girls looked for Edward in the halls. Bella was sure he was just being friendly now that he knew who she was.

Homecoming fell in the last week of September and Bella took extra care with her speech. She hoped that by now everyone had forgotten about the election, Berty, Edward and that whole shitshow. Wording her speech to neglect all of that, but writing a second version just in case something should happen, took up a lot of her time before the assembly. Bella took her lunch in her office for a few days and kicked herself for missing her Edward wave.

Bella was flipping through her note cards, seated near the podium in the gym when a shadow blocked her light. Squinting up at the person, she recognized the smirky smile and her breath caught.

"Can I sit with you?" Edward asked.

"You may." She shuffled over a bit even though she was the only one sitting on the bench.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Bella went back to her cards.

"You know your speech is going to be epic. They usually are." He nudged her with his elbow.

"You've listened to them before? I was sure my speeches come across like those old Peanuts shows. You know, the 'wahn, wahn, wahn' noise that all the grown-ups made?"

"I mean, I may not have paid the best attention in the past, but I heard most of them. You have a presence on the stage. You speak like you should be there."

"Thanks." Bella cursed the red heat that was creeping up her cheeks.

They watched as the rest of the school filed into the gym and thundered about finding seats. Edward waved to his friends, but didn't get up to join them. Bella couldn't help but wonder what he was up to. If he pulled a Carrie-like prank on her before her speech, she'd cut his balls off and hang them from her rear view mirror.

The staff took their places and everyone waited for Principal Greene to ask for quiet. The more rowdy kids took the opportunity to be as loud as they could before they had to shut up.

Edward leaned in closer to Bella, his breath adding to her heated cheek as he spoke.

"Are you going to the dance?"

"Um, yeah, I have to help with crowning the court and stuff. I'm sure you and your date will be up for king and queen."

"I didn't ask anybody." He slid one foot out and pulled it back again.

"Couldn't choose from the multitude hanging off your every word?" The words were out of her mouth before her brain could stop her. "I'm sorry, that was really catty and uncalled for."

Edward laughed. Bella was surprised by how much she liked the sound, low and rumbly, but musical somehow.

"I didn't have the balls to ask the girl I wanted to ask and now it's too late. I'm thinking I can score a dance or two, though."

Principal Greene tapped the microphone and held up his hand for silence.

"Good luck with that. I hope you get your wish." Bella straightened up and listened to the principal as he began to talk. Her speech went off without a hitch and Edward clapped the loudest when she was done. He even gave her shoulder a squeeze when she sat down again.

If it hadn't been for her position at the school, Bella never would have gone to the homecoming dance. First of all, it was noisy and second, it was full of people. But she did have to go and had gone to all the other dances since being elected. She never danced with anyone because no one ever asked. Well, not seriously asked her. Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie and Tyler Crowley had drunkenly asked at different points in the past. She turned them all down, mostly because they asked her boobs and not her.

She didn't mind not being asked all that much. Bella wanted to wait for college before she had her first real boyfriend. High school boys were too immature and horny for her. Bella knew she didn't need that kind of drama in her life right now.

The dance committee had transformed the gym into a stereotypical high school dance. Balloons, streamers and shiny things were everywhere like a birthday party exploded. Bella's dress was burgundy crushed velvet, falling just below her knees with a wide skirt. She wore dark stockings so she wouldn't have to shave. It wasn't worth the time and effort for a nighttime dance. No one would be looking at her or her legs anyway. Bella felt taller and a bit powerful with a pair of eight hole, dark emerald Doc Martens. They may not have been the right shoes for a dance, but Bella didn't care; she knew she'd be standing most of the night and went for comfort rather than style. Charlie had tried to give her a purse-sized can of pepper spray, but Bella was able to talk him out of it. He did, however, praise her heavily for her choice of footwear and give her an impromptu self-defence lesson. He ended up regretting the lesson, but knew the bruises would fade in a day or two.

Multicoloured lights flashed as the bass line of whichever popular loud song was playing thumped through Bella's entire body. Students writhed against each other as lewdly as they could under the not-so-careful and slightly tipsy eye of the teacher chaperones. Bella had caught and Mr. Varner filling their water bottles with Chablis as she walked back from putting her coat and purse in her locker.

Jasper Whitlock and Alice Brandon were named Homecoming King and Queen. Bella placed Alice's crown and handed Jasper his sceptre as well as giving them both a gift certificate to the Tasty-Freez ice cream parlour in Port Angeles. They danced to the latest syrupy Ed Sheeran song and then opened the floor for all the couples in the audience. Bella watched from the sidelines for a moment until she felt a presence behind her. Two warm hands grasped her shoulders and gently pushed her forward until she was surrounded by dancers. Bella whipped around to find herself face-to-face with Edward Cullen.

"If I asked, you would have said no. But now that we're here, may I have this dance?" He held out his hand. The look on his face was one of nervous fear and he couldn't help but bite the side of his lip as he waited for an answer. Bella looked him up and down before lifting her head to search the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked, tilting his face up as well. "What are we looking for?"

"Pig's blood."

"Why?" Edward kept looking, seriously confused

Bella watched him as he looked for her. His face was innocent and he looked childlike and lost.

"Never mind." Bella tried to step away from him and tried to return to her post. Edward caught her hand and spun her back around to face him. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body. He tucked their hands up to the height of her shoulder and swayed to the music. Bella tried to pull away, but Edward held her close. She held herself stiff as he laid his cheek on her hair, still moving to the slow beat of the song.

"I told you I'd try to steal a dance with my dream girl."

""Let me know when she gets here and I'll point her your way." Bella pushed against his chest to get him to let her go.

"Wait, Bella. I was talking about you."

"You know, Edward, I can put up with a lot of shit. I can deal with being ignored by my classmates, that's fine. But I don't deserve this kind of teasing. Find another victim or better yet, don't. It's cruel to play with people like this." Bella managed to slip into the crowd and get away from Edward. Her stomach clenched in anger and tears pricked in the back of her eyes. She hated crying when she was angry, it made her feel weak.

But Edward had managed to piss her off something fierce. She knew better than to become infatuated with the prettiest boy at school, especially at high school. He'd only break her heart and she didn't have time for that. Even if she had really started to appreciate the cut of his jaw and the brilliant shade of his eyes. So what if she'd become mesmerized by the length of his lashes and how the gold hue of them glimmered in the flashing lights of the gym. It didn't matter that she'd spent the better part of Algebra class wondering what it would be like to kiss him and have his arms around her, pulling her tightly to his hard body.

Was it not bad enough he tried to take the election from her? Now he was pretending to like her and chasing after her. For what reason, she wondered; just for amusement? For a good laugh for him and his friends? It didn't matter, she wasn't going to fall for his shit. She was smarter than that and she was wearing shit-kicking boots. She'd nail him in the balls and pop those suckers if he didn't leave her alone.

Bella ran to her locker and grabbed her jacket. She knew she should stay to the end of the dance, but her main job, the crowning of the king and queen, was over. They didn't really need her anymore. She managed to get out of the school without seeing anyone.

Under cover of darkness, Bella made her way to her truck. Her head was held high and the tears that had threatened her before were long gone, replaced with a slight ache in her heart. She'd asked last year to have the student lot lit at night, even just for dances and events, but the school board refused, citing lack of funds. Bella didn't see the person lounging against her truck until she was right in front of him.

"What do you want, Edward? Haven't you done enough?" Bella hated the little thrill she felt in the pit of her stomach whenever she said his name out loud.

"I wanted to explain."

"You don't need to, I understand. I'm sure it was a bet or some kind of joke, but it's over now. I won't hold it against you if you leave me alone." Bella fished in her pocket for her keys, dropping them to the ground by accident and cursing. Edward swooped down and grabbed them before she could even bend. She held out her hand, palm up and quirked an eyebrow, waiting for him to give her keys back. Instead, he slid his hand into hers, twining their fingers.

"You don't understand and I need you to listen to me. Stop making assumptions and listen."

Bella blinked up at him. His face was sincere; she could see that even in the faint light of the parking lot.

"I like you, Bella. I admire you. I think you're really smart and interesting and I'd like to get to know you better."

"What?"

"I think you're pretty and sexy, but most of all, kind. I'd like to take you out on dates and spend time with you."

"Edward, I …"

"I know you don't feel the same about me. I know I'm nowhere near in your league, but I had to try. Please, let me show you."

"Show me what?"

He took a step forward and raised his hand to cup her cheek, running the knuckle of his index finger along her jaw until he was able to tilt her chin up. He bent his head and gently pressed his lips to hers. Edward backed off a bit and then kissed her again, this time with more pressure but still gentle. He let go of her chin and rested his hand against the back of her head, pulling her closer.

Bella's breath stuttered and caught in her chest. Edward Cullen was kissing her. He had his mouth pressed against her mouth and she liked it. In fact, she really liked it. Bella had been kissed before, wet sloppy fumblings at parties, seven minutes of slobber or spin the bottle of embarrassment kinds of kisses. This kiss was so incredibly different. She felt this kiss in places no simple kiss had ever touched her.

And then he groaned.

"_Oh my God."_ That sound, the low rumble from his chest, went straight to her internal thermostat and blasted it to high. Her body was in flames. Bella turned and rested her back against the cool of her truck, trying to quench the fire. Edward moved with her. He let go of her face and pressed his palm to the window of her truck, pinning her in. He kissed her harder, moving his lips almost insistently against hers. His tongue ran over her bottom lip and he moaned again as Bella's mouth opened without her brain even registering what was happening. Edward tasted like cinnamon, spicy and sweet and Bella wanted more. She ran her tongue against his and revelled in his taste. Her hands grabbed his jacket and pulled him closer until they were pressed together. The heat of him added to her own and she felt immolated.

Bella was happy in her fiery sacrifice to teenage hormones.

The hand that had been holding hers was suddenly on her rib cage, the thumb just under her breast. He flexed his fingers and Bella felt small, delicate, and feminine with how much of her side his hand could span. Her breath caught as her heart slammed against her chest. Edward twisted his hand and slid it down until the heel of his palm was resting on her hip bone. His kisses grew more demanding, tilting his head and shifting his feet to gain a better angle. Edward's hand curved around Bella's hip and he gently squeezed her bum cheek. It was Bella's turn to moan and at that they broke apart, panting. Bella could feel the hardness of him through her dress and they both knew it was time to stop before they went too far, too fast.

Edward still held her tightly to him, his cheek resting against her temple and his breath in her hair. Bella let go of his jacket and slid her hands up his chest to the back of his neck. She would have laughed until she peed herself if someone had told her last week that she would be necking with Edward Cullen in the parking lot of the school in the dark of night. But here she was, and she was having the time of her life. Bella felt so keyed up she could have jogged home and back again without her feet touching the ground. One good kiss had knocked her silly.

"Bella?"

"Mmm, yeah?"

"I want to kiss you again. Everyday, just like that. Is that okay with you?"

'Mmmm, yeah."

"And Bella?"

"Mmm, yeah?"

"I love the boots."

Not every day had kisses like that first one, but there were lots of days together and a tonne of hot kisses, each new and exciting.

At the end of the year, the school paper did a front page spread, much to Bella's discomfort, about everyone's favourite three-time student body president and the first boyfriend. Forks High had never had a more effective and happy leading couple.

The End


End file.
